ARIA
by LacrimosaDiesIlla
Summary: Previously Blinded by What we Could See. Sakura is trying to catch up to her teammates, but she will come across many obstacles in doing so. This is the story about her challenges and how she overcomes them. Sakura-centric, but some NejiSaku on the side.
1. Chapter 1

Alright. First fic, hope you like it.

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-start chapter one-

Monotony. Complete and utter Boredom:

This is was the typical life of Haruno Sakura, Konoha medic-in-training. She spends her days dealing with minor injuries, the kind that can really be avoided if people were just paying more attention to what was going on. Heal, next patient, heal, next patient…It was a tiring cycle. She was hoping that she would be training under Tsunade right now, but unfortunately for Sakura, she is also the Hokage, and needs to take care of that business first. In the meantime, she was stuck "practicing" in "real-life situations." While tired of her daily life, she was not physically tired; in fact, she was pretty restless most of the time. None of the things that she had to do were really intense, so she still had plenty of Chakra. She wanted to be healing injuries of shinobi who actually needed her help. While she was pondering these miserable circumstances, she walked down to the next patient's room and let out a heavy sigh.

She'd been doing that, sighing, a lot, ever since she had to come to the terms that neither of her teammates were coming back anytime soon. Ever since Naruto left, about a year ago, Sakura realized how much she needed him to keep her life interesting. Sasuke, who left about half a year before Naruto, hadn't left Sakura's memory completely – she still thought about him every now and then, but she didn't really like to. When she thought of Sasuke, she thought about how demented she was being. She didn't hate Sasuke for that; rather, she was mad at herself for acting so pitiful. She was just happy that she was able to turn into a decent shinobi after he left.

Lost in her thought, she didn't realize that her patient, who she only just now actually looked at, was already healed. With another small sigh, she left the room dismissing the patient with a simple two words: You're done.

Walking back to her office to file the papers she was carrying, she was soon lost in her brooding thoughts once again. She got to her office and dumped her papers onto her too-neat desk.

"I suppose that this is one of the effects of not having a social life…" she thought to herself bitterly, noticing how meticulous her office was.

She sat down, about to fill in some forms for the patients she just dispatched, when a nurse came in, handing her yet more patient files. Sakura inwardly cursed these people for being so careless, as well as Tsunade, for making her the only person this shift that would take care of all these minor cases, as an _unpaid_ volunteer as well... She flipped through the files, looking to see if there was anything particularly interesting. Not too surprised, she didn't see such a thing. Dismissing all the cases as equally boring, she just went to whatever room was closest and worked from there.

Three hours later, she neared the end of her once-long list of patients. Looking at the file, she was surprised to see a familiar name. Although not surprising to see his name as a regular patient in the hospital, newly-appointed Jounin Hyuuga Neji was rarely in the hospital for minor injuries. Checking what he was there for, she walked in, her eyes scanning the file. All it said was that he got hit by a kunai in the shoulder. Seeming kind of pathetic for such a mighty ninja, Sakura figured that there was some kind of complication.

While embarrassed that his medic just _had _to be a big-mouthed acquaintance of his, although calling Sakura his acquaintance was a huge overstatement, as they hadn't shared more than a word, that being in the hospital and strictly professional, he was also alarmed at hoe utterly lifeless she looked. It seemed that, although his injury wasn't directly from a mission, the effects from a mission were the cause of his condition. Mostly due to fatigue, Neji had failed to sense a kunai approaching him during training with Tenten, and now he had a kunai sticking out of his left shoulder. Only having seen her a couple of times, mainly being the two Chuunin exams (the second of which they had both passed), he did not know how she would look if not with some kind of emotion, whether it was happiness, anger, or concentration. Thinking she was just trying to act professional, Neji just waited for Sakura to ask how he got hurt in such a silly way, or just laugh at the stupid injury. While she was working, he tried thinking of some excuse to tell her, so that the whole village might not know of his blunder. Only having heard about Sakura's medical training, he was surprised at her efficiency, being healed in no more than a couple of minutes.

"Alright, you're done," Sakura dismissed him.

Surprised at her lack of questioning, he looks at her carefully, as she writes something down in his file. He looks at her eyes and finds himself perplexed at their emptiness. Suddenly, she looks up at Neji, who had averted his eyes quick enough to not be detected.

"Are you okay?" she asks, clearly worried if she somehow messed up.

"No," he states, and quickly leaves the room, leaving Sakura with her papers. Confused at his behavior, she shrugs it off and puts it out of her mind. She quickly returns to her office, noting the time. Thankfully, it was time for her shift to end, and she was looking forward to being able to leave the incredibly boring hospital. She quickly finished her paperwork when a nurse comes in once more, this time panic in her voice.

"It's Hyuuga, come quick!"

Wondering why she was being called for such an emergency, when she is only qualified for minor tasks, she soon forgets as she lays eyes on Hyuuga Neji, seizing right outside of the hospital entrance.

-end chapter one-

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**Spellcheck fails**:

Haruno - Haroun

Sakura - Samurai

Konoha - Konrad

Tsunade - Tsunami

Hokage - Homage

Chakra - Chara

Shinobi - Shin obi

Naruto - Narrator

Sasuke - Sapsucker

Jounin - Jouncy

Hyuuga - Hyundai

Neji - Nedi

kunai - Kunming

Chuunin - Chumming

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Kinda boring intro, yeah...But, this boringness was the mood I was trying to set. =P

It will pick up next chapter. It should also be longer. I'll probably update in about 2 weeks, but usually on Wednesdays, because I write during work, which is on Wednesdays...

Questions, comments, criticism, even flames welcome: JUST REVIEW. I want to know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

I guess I was so overwhelmed by how many people like the story already (about 7 story subscriptions/alerts! 3 KEEP IT COMING) that I couldn't resist writing another chapter today...Even though it's the day before midterms. Consider yourselves lucky that I'd do this for you. Or just consider me pathetic. XD

Forgot this before:

**FAN** - an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc. [_i.e. ME_]

**FICTION** - the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration [_i.e. THIS STORY_]

So yeah, I can't possibly own it.

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-start chapter two-

While very shocking, the sight of Hyuuga Neji seizing was also quite haunting: his eyelids fluttering madly, body shaking violently, and limbs contorted. This very sight will be the very one plaguing Haruno Sakura for days on end, the sight that will star in more than a few nightmares. Not actually being experienced enough to treat him, Sakura was in charge of getting the supplies for his treatment, while more competent medics began to treat him.

She slammed open the supply room door, quickly grabbing an assortment of gauze bandages and ointments before slamming the door shut with equal agitation, before running to the ER, supplies in hand. Arriving at the ER, where Neji was taken soon after she was called, she scanned the room, out of breath: quickly identifying the corner bed as Neji's, mostly due to the cluster of medics surrounding it. She made her way to his bed, and noticed that the wound she had just healed was reopened. Not actually knowing what to be doing in the situation, Sakura merely stood there awkwardly, until a medic told her to move. She waited outside this little circle of medics until the situation was under control, and they were no longer needed to work immediately on the young Jounin. Once she saw that he was back to normal, Sakura sank to her knees, letting out a huge sigh of relief, grateful that everything would be calm now.

That was, until a nurse came yet again, this time calling Sakura for the Hokage, summoning her to visit her master's office. She made her way there calmly; very different from the way she was running from the supply room to the ER. Trying to forget the whole ordeal that just happened, she forced herself to contemplate other issues.

"Hmm…I wonder if I should cut my hair again…It's been getting kinda long," she thought, fingering her exotic-colored hair, which now reached a couple of inches below her shoulder blades, "I liked it longer, but it's way more convenient when it's shorter…"

Thinking deeply upon this issue, she realized that she had already reached the Hokage's office. Knocking lightly, she wondered why her master was summoning her.

"Tsunade-shishou told me that I wouldn't have anymore training until at least next week…So then, I wonder what it is?" she thought, curious of her teacher's intentions.

Upon hearing the command to enter, Sakura stepped into the office cautiously.

"Yes, Shishou?" she asked the tired-looking Hokage, surprisingly without her beloved bottle of sake beside her.

"Haruno Sakura," Tsunade started, her use of Sakura's full name an indication that her business was one of a serious nature, "do you know _why_ Hyuuga Neji began to seize uncontrollably, _right after_ being examined and treated by none other than yourself, when he has no previous history of seizure or epilepsy?"

"Not at all…" Sakura answered truthfully, "I was actually wondering that myself…Do you know why it happened?"

"Yes, I happen to have a very clear understanding of how it occurred: it was because **you** had not treated him fully and correctly. The cut went far deeper than you treated!"

Sakura froze at the revelation. It was…HER fault? **SHE** was the reason that Neji was so creepily spazzing out?

"Tell me **one** good reason why I should even continue to teach you, after you nearly **killed** one of the most skilled rookie Jounin in all of Konoha!" Tsunade snapped at Sakura's silent pondering, "Your negligence nearly lost us the shinobi with the most potential to eventually become the top ANBU chief in less than 2 years!"

"I…I…didn't…know…" Sakura began to stammer weakly, still in denial that it was her fault that Neji was in such a critical condition. Her eyesight began to blur as Tsunade reprimanded her, all the while the Hokage's voice slowly rising until it was nothing but a deafening roar. The tears threatened to spill, but Sakura tried to resist it: she would not be the same crybaby that she once was.

Tsunade noticed her expression and immediately began to shift from strict master to kind mother.

"Well…it's not entirely your fault. I mean, you haven't actually learned to heal wounds that deep just yet. It also pierced his chakra nervous system, which you won't learn how to fix for a good half year or so…Not to mention, it _was_ actually REALLY close to where he got his before, during the…fight with the sound ninja, Kidomaru…" Tsunade reassured her, sneaking around the use of Sasuke's name while her student was already under such an emotional burden.

With the reassurance that she was not entirely at fault, Sakura began to recompose herself, calming down at the fact that her master was no longer scolding her.

"Although…he will still need some extensive care…" Tsunade began to think, "He's going to probably need to take it easy for a while…Temporary suspension from ninja duties. Almost constant supervision from a medic in case the wound decides to hemorrhage. Someone to make sure he doesn't over-do it. _Damn._"

She suddenly had a brilliant idea, and smiled inwardly.

"So, Sakura, how about I teach you some new healing techniques…So something like_ this_ won't happen again?" she began, clearly plotting something. However, Sakura was too eager to make up for her inadequate performance before, and was willing to go along with her master's crazy schemes if it meant that she was no longer in trouble.

"When?" she replied, giving in, against her better judgment.

"How about…**now**?" Tsunade replied, wanting nothing more than to set her crazy plan into action as soon as possible.

And thus, Sakura is roped into a series of events, the effects of which she could not have had any idea of its impact on her life.

-end chapter two-.

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**Spellcheck fails:**

Shishou - Chisholm

Kidomaru - Tidemark

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Hope you liked it. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, EVEN IF IT'S CRITICISM (especially constructive, but doesn't have to be).


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, here's a short one. It's after midterms so I'm kinda tired of...work. Yeah. ._.

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-start chapter three-

One week into intense medical training, Sakura approached her sensei, still oblivious to her motives of suddenly teaching her on a regular basis, as opposed to whenever there was time in between Hokage duties.

"Ano…Shishou, I was wondering…I have a request…" she began, stumbling over her words, shyly, as though her question may provoke her short-tempered master.

"What is it, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, kind of annoyed, and at the same time concerned about the change in behavior.

"Well…I want…Can you get me a genjutsu teacher?" Sakura finally asked.

Tsunade replied in an attempt to pry for more information, "Hmm…I can, of course, but what I want to know is WHY? Kakashi has told me that you were already something of a genjutsu-type."

"Well, I can dispel it and detect it just fine, but what I really want to be able to do is…you know…to cast it," Sakura confessed, although it would be a lie to say that she hadn't prepared the answer to the inevitable question beforehand.

"Alright, Haruno, I'll get you a genjutsu teacher, as long as you understand that you will still have training with me everyday. Don't think that training will be any less difficult or time consuming: you're going to need to find some way to fit both of these training sessions in your day. And as long as you understand that, I guarantee you that you can start genjutsu training as soon as possible," Tsunade declared, her authority ringing on every syllable.

Tsunade had noticed the determination Sakura possessed the past week, no doubt from the incident with Neji; however, when talking about learning to cast genjutsu, Tsunade could see a new, different determination in Sakura's eyes: it unnerved the Godaime Hokage for reasons that she couldn't quite comprehend just yet.

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Early the next morning, Tsunade called Shizune to her office.

"Get me Kurenai…and some sake," she ordered, still a tad grumpy from being woken up less than half an hour prior.

"It's too early for sake, Hokage-sama…" Shizune muttered, while leaving to find the red-eyed Jounin.

Not long after Shizune left Tsunade's office, a burst of flower petals signaled the arrival of Kurenai.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" she reported, bowing slightly to show her respect.

"Yuuhi Kurenai," Tsunade began, "I put you in charge of teaching the art of genjutsu-casting to Haruno Sakura."

"Hai, understood. When shall I start?" Kurenai accepted, although there was really no choice given to her.

"You may start whenever you please, even today. I shall be training Sakura myself, from the afternoon until early evening. You may train her at any other time. You are dismissed."

"Hai, I will do my best," Kurenai bowed, and once again Tsunade's office was temporarily filled with the scent of flower petals.

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Kurenai walked the streets of Konoha, watching shops open, and children leaving for school. Thinking about how to possibly go about teaching the pink-haired Chuunin, Kurenai found herself walking by Kakashi.

"Yo," he greeted, hand making a slight wave before going to his side.

"Ah, Kakashi-san, it's been a while. Hmm…You taught Haruno Sakura for a little while, right?" Kurenai asked, trying to find an approach of teaching the art of genjutsu to someone she barely knew.

"Hm…yes, I suppose. Why?" he asked, his one eye not looking up from his trademark book.

Kurenai took a breath and began to explain the situation she found herself in, "I've been ordered by Hokage-sama to teach her genjutsu…"

While flattered that she was chosen to teach because of her exceptional genjutsu skills, Kurenai was also finding herself somewhat upset about teaching someone that was not particularly outstanding, at least in her memory.

"Isn't she already a genjutsu-type…?" Kakashi asked, his eye finally leaving the pages of sin and meeting the red eyes of his comrade.

"Is she? I'm to teacher her how to CAST genjutsu…" Kurenai explained further, starting to be confused by Tsunade's sudden request.

"Well, she has pretty good chakra control. She can manage, you'll be fine. Good luck," Kakashi stated, no sooner than the words had left his…mask, had he poofed away to some other location.

"Oh, I really hate it when he does that…" Kurenai muttered before heading in the general direction of Sakura's house.

-end chapter three-

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**Spellcheck fails**:

Shishou - Chisholm

Genjutsu - Generous

Godaime - Godawful

Shizune - Shinned

Yuuhi - Yuppie

Kurenai - Laurena

Kakashi - Kashmir

poofed- pooed (Seriously...? -_-;)

Lol my favorite was Godawful...The Godawful Hokage, no wait...Godaime...XD

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Anyway, LEAVE A REVIEW. Srsly. I was sad last time, I only got like 2. I think that was it. If not, then only one. D=

But yeah, if I need to, I'll start rewarding the people that did review by posting their names at the beginning of each chapter and stuff. YEAH THAT'S INCENTIVE. =P

Lastly, I hope you liked this chapter, I know it was short. ^^;


	4. Chapter 4

I know, it's been kinda a while. D=

Anyway, I have a snow day, so I'm in a GREAT mood. =D

But yeah, it's been a longer time since I updated mostly because I don't feel like writing these parts...I want to get to the parts that come MUCH later, cuz I like planned it out and I really just want to get to the later parts without any of the actual exposition stuff...But yeah, I've also been working out details, and trying to make them all consistent, so it's also taken some time because I keep on coming up with new parts and adding those in and making it all work was taking some time. I'm thinking WAY ahead though, like at least 5-6 chapters. With any luck. If I make the chapters a little longer...

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-start chapter four-

Sakura opened her eyes one morning, to find eyes staring back at her. It was scary, and she was tempted to scream, but found she couldn't: she simply lacked the ability to do so. Her mouth was open and she was exerting all possible efforts to make a sound, but none would come. The eyes staring at her were cold, but glazed over. The intruder stepped back, revealing none other than a middle-aged man, evidently drunk, and almost certainly a civilian.

Why should this be scaring the alleged fierce kunoichi, apprentice of the Godaime Hokage herself?

It wouldn't be revealed, as Sakura noticed that her own chakra nervous system was being intercepted by another's. Realizing what must be going on, she quickly released herself from the genjutsu and found her voice once more.

Heavily breathing and still somewhat shocked, she tried to locate the perpetrator.

"Uhh…right outside the door? This must be either a really stupid ninja or the person Tsunade-shishou is sending to be my genjutsu teacher…" Sakura thought, with a slightly less annoyed demeanor after considering the latter.

Quickly making herself presentable, which included a hasty change of clothes to ones suitable fro training, and some regular hygienic morning habits, Sakura hurried to the door, revealing none other than Kurenai, who, if you knew her well enough, seemed like she would much rather be doing something else.

"Sorry for the wait…Would you like to come in?" Sakura asked, her natural instincts as a hostess coming into play.

"Uh, no, you'll be coming with me. I'm going to teach you genjutsu," Kurenai not-so-subtly declined Sakura's offer, and immediately explained the situation. Kurenai led Sakura to a small training ground when she began to talk again.

"Well, based on the 'test' I gave you, you are capable of detecting and dispelling genjutsu; however, this is quite a lot more that you would have to learn to be considered a genjutsu-user. First, the basics of casting genjutsu: knowing the process and principles of creating and injecting a genjutsu into another shinobi," Kurenai began, "While there is a great deal of chakra control required, which I'm sure you have, there is also the aspect of understanding and a certain degree of creativity involved…"

"SHIIIIIIT…Creativity? I'm certainly NOT creative! If I had a pet cat, I would name it 'Cat'!" Sakura thought, immediately deeming herself inept at learning genjutsu for the factor of her lack of creativity.

"…And while creativity is important, it can be developed, after you have mastered the basics. The general idea is that the more creative genjutsu is, the more effective it is. In other words, the creativity of a genjutsu is what sets a good genjutsu apart from an exceptional one," Kurenai concluded, setting Sakura at ease.

Kurenai waited to let the information sink in, as she thought about how to go about teaching. What should she do first: find out Sakura's range and then explain about the process based on that, or explain the technical details for genjutsu, then find out Sakura's personal attributes…

"Well, who's to say that she can't learn the technical details herself? If I remember correctly, she was an excellent student in terms of learning stuff by-the-book, which is basically what the technical aspect of genjutsu is…Then she can practice applying those concepts the next time we train…" Kurenai thought, satisfied with her resolution.

"Alright, Haruno, I'm going to give you a couple of scrolls, and you will be responsible for knowing all the information in them by the next time we train. I will give you a week from now to do that," Kurenai began, reaching into her bag for the correct scrolls, "and today we will be deciding how you will be transmitting genjutsu. It is a rather personal process, and while most experts are capable of casting genjutsu with seals alone, it is often helpful for beginners to have a different method of transfer. I'm assuming you remember your first Chuunin exams? Those feathers, they were what tramsmit the genjutsu. They are also the reason why the genjutsu was a long-range one. Genjutsu based on seals are generally close-range. Using something like leaves, petals, or feathers are all methods of making the genjutsu long-ranged."

Kurenai handed Sakura five scrolls of different sizes, ranging from being dauntingly thick to being delicately thin. Sakura put them in her bag, and thought about what Kurenai had just told her.

"Well…What about transmitting a genjutsu through voice? I mean, you could adjust the volume to change the ranges, and it could be triggered by a word of pitch or something, right? And the sound waves would intercept the chakra nervous system, through the opponent's ears…right?" Sakura thought, logically and somewhat uncertainly. She had known a little of genjutsu's basic technicalities, but not nearly in enough depth to be sure of this theory.

"I suppose, yeah, it would work, theoretically. I personally wouldn't have nay first-hand experience on that particular method of transmitting chakra, but I'm sure that it could be done…Assuming that you could control your chakra to be released with the sound waves," Kurenai replied to Sakura's uncertaintly, although rather suspicious of her idea.

"That concept is partly what Otogakure is based on…The ability to use sound to create jutsu…Is she just taking that concept to use for her own personal method, or is something going on here?" Kurenai thought, pondering on Sakura's possible ulterior motives.

Sakura interrupted Kurenai's thoughts by explaining her speculations about her own personal method of transmitting chakra to intercept the chakra nervous system of an enemy, to which Kurenai listened to, trying to forget about her suspicions, only to have them bought up again every now and then…

* * *

"Enter!" Tsunade commanded to the unknown ninja knocking on her door at about two in the afternoon.

Enter Kurenai, coming to share her newfound knowledge of the Hokage's apprentice.

"Kurenai…To what do I owe your visit? Did you begin training Sakura?" Tsunade asked, wondering if her student was perhaps too much for Kurenai to handle.

"Well, I did what I could for today. She's to learn the technical details of genjutsu in depth first, so I just tried to learn a little about her…personal abilities and preferences in order to come up with a specific training method and style for her…And that is kind of the reason that I have come to you…" Kurenai began, delving into her earlier suspicions with Tsunade, knowing that the Godaime should know of what may or may not be happening in the pink-haired kunoichi's mind.

"She seemed to have an almost strange affinity to…sound. I don't know Sakura that well, but I thought that you should know that she has chosen the use of sound to transmit genjutsu. It seemed suspicious, and while I believe she will probably not betray the village, it was quite unnerving," Kurenai tried to explain the peculiar feeling that she experienced while talking to Sakura earlier, "It just…seemed like she had some kind of ulterior motive. Whether or not it had anything to do with Otogakure or not is beyond me, but I do not know her well enough to decide…"

"…Interesting. While I also have almost no doubt that Sakura will remain loyal to Konohagakure, I appreciate that you are relaying this information to me. I will keep an eye on her, and I would like you to report to me if you find anything else suspicious about her behavior," Tsunade conferred, trying to keep her student from sounding like a sketchy traitor-to-be, "Meanwhile, I appreciate that you are teaching her genjutsu. I'm sure that it will help her in becoming a well-rounded kunoichi. Specialization can be very dangerous…"

And with that final parting note, Kurenai left Tsunade, opting to use the door rather than ninjutsu this time.

-end chapter four-

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**Spellcheck fails:**

Genjutsu: generous

Kunoichi: kunming

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Ahh, hope you liked it. I know that I said it's NejiSaku, but it's mostly Sakura-centric. The NejiSaku stuff comes later, and even then, it's kinda a side thing. But yeah, it's kinda a longer chapter, so have fun with that. Also, those things about genjutsu are only my personal ideas. I dunno if it really works like that, etc. ALSO...I won't make Sakura stupid, so she's NOT going to leave leaf. She does have a different ulterior motive though, but you'll find that out later. Leave a review~! =D


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